Back from Poland just in time to pack (again) and take off (again) on Monday for Paris, with an end destination of Malaga, Spain on the 1st. I can’t begin to tell you how much I’m looking forward to laying on a sandy beach with the only pressing decision being what we’ll have for dinner that night. Nirvana.
All in all the cousins really haven’t been so bad. It’s always weird having other people around, but overall they’re pretty easy to take, and extremely independent in comparison to the rest of Jim’s family. Even the whole religion/politics thing hasn’t been as much of a hot button as I’d thought it would be. If anything, I almost envy the serenity of the deeply religious- even if I don’t quite understand it. I mean, they absolutely have faith that everything will turn out ok. While I sit here with a laundry list of worries ranging from global issues to the safety of my children to why I can’t whistle properly; they’re kicked back, relaxed, and saying it’ll all turn out fine because god is on their side. And what about the times when it seems he’s not? When terrible things happen and little children are murdered, or car crashes take the lives of innocent people, or families are torn apart and then left to pick up the pieces and move on? That’s god’s will too, and he knows best… even if we don’t understand why something happens, we have to have faith that it’s happening for a reason. Let me tell you, this concept completely blows my mind. And while I doubt I’ll ever embrace it, I can totally see what a huge relief and source of comfort it might be… which is exactly what I told them.
That said, one thing I really don’t get is how uber-religious people have sex. I mean, I know they do, but when your whole life is about ‘through god all things are possible’ and ‘he is with me every day in every way’ and ‘when there’s one set of footprints he’s carrying me’… how then do you relax and (when not doing it for strictly procreational purposes) not allow it to get in the way of having satisfying, enjoyable sex? Because, I’m sorry, but you’re just not doing it right if you come away feeling god would be proud of what you’ve just done. Sex is primal and urgent and satisfying, and (in my mind) there’s just no room for the parties involved to be thinking ‘wwjd’ in the heat of the moment. Seems like it would be a huge inhibitor unless you somehow manage to convince yourself that god actually wanted you to stick your finger there, or whisper “talk to me like the dirty little whore you are” in your partner’s ear…
To me the two concepts just don’t mesh, and I’m dying to ask them what the work-around is to the whole ‘god is watching us’ thing… but, sadly, Jim’s forbidden me to. He never lets me have any fun…
Thanks for my morning laugh, that was too funny…ciao
The Bible sez the marriage bed is innocent and blameless, which I take to mean as long as you’re married to the person you’re lying in it with you can do just about anything you want (excluding an-yee-muls).
Lisa- But are you catholic? Because with them there’s the whole don’t spill/waste the seed issue…
Ok, I totally just did the whole ‘every sperm is sacred’ intro to Monty Python’s Meaning Of Life just now… it was great!
If having sex is not a sin … then you are not doing it right.
If anyone tells you god is on their side … be very wary.
That concept of being relaxed and accepting things as they are, good or bad, does not necessarily require god … or drugs … just the ability to dissociate from reality.
… “whatever” … pretty much sums it up.
4 words. Theology of the Body. Seriously orthodox Catholics are sexiously sex-positive (in the context of marriage).
But never fear, you have little chance of hearing anything about it in a church in the States and 0 chance in Germany.
There are things that are only allowed as ummgh errrrr. . . warm up and not as the whole deal, so to speak and I’m pretty sure whips etc. are out - which might be dealbreaker for some.
re: Some deity is on “our” side. Obviously Christians believe that “God so loved the -world- blah blah blah”. The world includes all humanity. Some deity wishing me well, doesn’t exclude that deity/power/force being postitively disposed toward my neighbor as well. Clearly there are people who are happy to interpret this differently, but there are people who are happy to rob banks, too.
Accepting the fact that there are some things you cannot control is realistic. I thought seperating oneself from all desire was a distinctly eastern aspiration - but there, I am out of my depth.
ugg. seriously. look what I’ve got on the brain. Sorry about the spelling.
I’d like to know the answer to that myself. What is you asked them for me - would that violate Jim’s restriction?
You just gotta have faith - It either a George Michael song or a major cop out from reality!
In my way of thinking there is God and what God intended, then there are humans trying to interpret what God intended (see ref.: Catholicism), and rarely the twain shall meet.
Another facinating blog from you B, it really is an interesting & compelling subject, not that I consider myself religious by any means, if anything, I find myself very wary of religion in general. The last line of your entry made me smile
*PS, did you by any chance get the email I sent you?
Ask ‘em!